


desires

by inkin_brushes



Series: Immortals (Vamp AU) [34]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-03
Updated: 2015-05-03
Packaged: 2018-05-27 11:26:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6282733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkin_brushes/pseuds/inkin_brushes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hakyeon continues plaguing Jaehwan so Jaehwan resorts to drastic measures, meanwhile Sanghyuk makes a discovery but still continues being blind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	desires

“You really, _really_ need to stop making bets with Ilhoon,” Sanghyuk said flatly, giving Sungjae an unimpressed look with eyes that were artfully lined with eyeliner.

Sungjae pointed a finger at Ilhoon accusatorially. “He cheats!”

“How would I cheat at a coin toss?” Ilhoon asked. He was grinning, and it was a little fangy. Thankfully not in a vampire way, just in the ordinary human sense. 

“Black magic,” Sungjae said solemnly. Both Ilhoon and Sanghyuk ignored him, gathering their things in preparation for the fishing trip. “I am pretty sure this breaks protocol.”

“Yep,” Sanghyuk said with a bland smile. “It does, but you made your bed, and now you have to lie in it.”

Sungjae groaned, sitting down heavily in his desk chair, where a myriad of files were stacked. Ilhoon was supposed to be doing those files, as his partner, Hyunsik, had called out with a stomach flu. Sungjae and Sanghyuk, on the other hand, were supposed to be going out on a fishing trip, with Sanghyuk as bait and Sungjae as backup.

But, no. Ilhoon would be dead before he was forced to do paperwork, apparently, and goading Sungjae into stupid bets was far too easy. So a coin toss later and now Sungjae was going to be stuck at HQ for the night, filling out reports, while Ilhoon tagged along with Sanghyuk and was his number two.

“I’ve never been backup,” Ilhoon said, still smiling his shark smile. “I’m always bait. This’ll be interesting.”

This time, it was Sanghyuk who groaned. “Come on,” he said, leading the way out of HQ.

“See you later, Jae,” Ilhoon trilled, and Sungjae simply grumbled in response.

The night was warm, almost grossly so. The sun hadn’t been gone long enough for the air to have cooled down much. Because it was still so early, they’d be walking to their destination. Had to give the night scene time to wake up, after all.

Ilhoon stretched up towards the night sky, looking like a smug cat. “It’s so nice out.”

Sanghyuk darted his foot out, tapping the back of one of Ilhoon’s knees with his toes. It was just enough to make Ilhoon wobble a little. “You’re terrible,” Sanghyuk said. “And I know you do cheat. I’m not going to let Sungjae bet with you anymore.”

Sanghyuk sighed as Ilhoon waggled his fingers teasingly at him. “He’s the only one who hasn’t caught on.”

“He’s starting to, so it’s time to throw in the towel,” Sanghyuk said, and Ilhoon laughed. 

“Yes, I suppose when someone with rocks for brains is finally noticing, it is time to stop,” Ilhoon said. He skipped ahead a little, clearly enjoying being out under the moonlight. 

“Poor Sungjae,” Sanghyuk mumbled. He inhaled deeply, the air smelling like city, thick with humidity. It was quiet out, but not unnervingly so. Just the quiet of calm. His wards were silent, and it was a peace that Sanghyuk had learned to appreciate in recent weeks. He’d been around vamps so much, so frequently, that he’d forgotten what it was like to feel settled.

Ilhoon was walking fast, too fast, and Sanghyuk simply couldn’t be arsed. When Ilhoon reached the end of the block, he stopped, turning to wait for Sanghyuk to catch up. Sanghyuk purposefully dragged his feet, but Ilhoon didn’t seem to care. When he did catch up, Ilhoon resumed walking, but he stayed by Sanghyuk’s side, this time.

“Poor Sungjae,” Ilhoon muttered, and it took Sanghyuk a moment to realize he was echoing Sanghyuk. “You like him as your partner?”

“Well, yeah,” Sanghyuk said, “if I didn’t, I’d have asked to be switched. He’s— he’s not a lead, but he’s good as a second. We haven’t had an issue yet.”

Ilhoon had a strange expression on his face. His cat-like lips were curling upwards at the edges slightly. “Do you like him as a person?”

Sanghyuk glanced at him askance, and Ilhoon’s small smile grew, turning into a cheshire grin. “Uh? I mean— yeah, I guess. We get along. He’s— he’s nice.” Sanghyuk didn’t know what the fuck Ilhoon was trying to drag out of him. He liked Sungjae, they were good partners— was there some weird gossip going around? Who fucking knew.

Ilhoon grunted in response to that. “Yeah, but—” Ilhoon huffed impatiently, flicking his bangs out of his eyes. “Do you like him?”

Sanghyuk squinted. “I just said I like him—”

“Okay.” Ilhoon stopped walking, turning to face Sanghyuk directly. “I’m bad at subtlety, so I’m just going to get right to it—”

“That was you being subtle?” Sanghyuk asked, and Ilhoon pointedly ignored him.

“Sungjae wants to fuck you,” Ilhoon deadpanned, and Sanghyuk just about choked on his own saliva. Alright, yes, that had been Ilhoon being subtle, and now he had reference for Ilhoon _not_ being subtle.

“What?” Sanghyuk croaked, feeling his cheeks heat up. “He— what?

 

“He wants to fuck you,” Ilhoon repeated. He was very earnest, no shame in his expression. “Like, I’m ninety five percent sure he jerks off in the shower thinking of you, and then probably cries afterwards, because that’s how he is, but I digress. I mean, like, haven’t you noticed him staring at your ass?”

“I— a lot of people stare at my ass,” Sanghyuk said blankly, finding his shock was rendering him downright stupid. “You stare at my ass.”

“It’s a nice ass,” Ilhoon said, then waved that away. “But that is beside the point.”

“What is the point?” Sanghyuk asked faintly. “Why are you telling me this?” Ilhoon sniffed, then began walking once more. Sanghyuk was forced to trail after him, flustered and bemused. “ _Ilhoon_.”

“Sungjae,” Ilhoon announced, “has been banned from mine and Hyunsik’s bedroom, because the other day when I was blowing him, he said your name.” He glared balefully at Sanghyuk. “To say I was insulted doesn’t even cover it.”

Despite Sanghyuk’s embarrassment, he laughed, hard. 

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Ilhoon muttered. “You wish you gave as good of blowjobs as me.”

“I have no doubts that you are an excellent cocksucker,” Sanghyuk said, still snickering. “But still, I mean, sorry I’m apparently fucking up your sex life, but why tell me?”

Ilhoon gave a one shouldered shrug. The two of them turned a corner, and the buildings here were beginning to show signs of less maintenance. “I kind of just thought you should know. Also with how damn much he’s been pining— I was kind of hoping to catalyse something, to be honest.” He slid a glance at Sanghyuk. “He’s still too chicken to make a move, but I was hoping if you knew, then maybe you’d have the balls to give him the fuck he apparently wants, so my bedroom feng shui can be not disturbed again.”

That stopped Sanghyuk short. He had an odd, out of body moment where he forgot, yes, he could do that. He could sleep with Sungjae if he wanted. He was an adult and he wasn’t a virgin anymore, there was nothing stopping him. But throughout this conversation, it had never crossed his mind as a thing that could be done. 

Sanghyuk bit his bottom lip. His first thought was of Jaehwan. And that was stupid, they weren’t dating, he’d said so over and over and _over_ , and it was true to the core. But they had gotten more— friendly, than Sanghyuk had anticipated. And Sanghyuk rather thought that Jaehwan also felt some kind of camaraderie with Sanghyuk. He wasn’t sure if the terms of their— their deal had changed.

Sanghyuk wet his lips nervously. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

Ilhoon groaned. “I’m doomed to sad, twosome sex indefinitely.” He pouted at Sanghyuk. “Why? Because he’s your partner? I’m not asking you to date him, you know, I’m just saying you can bang. I’m banging like, everyone, and I’m managing fine.”

Sanghyuk chose not to comment on that. “It’s that, a bit, but mostly because I— I have my own fuck buddy, you know?”

“You can’t have more than one?” Ilhoon asked, eyebrow arching questioningly. “Usually one of the base rules of a fuck buddy relationship is there’s no strings.”

There was a street lamp flickering slightly, and it made Sanghyuk a little edgy, as they passed under it. “Yeah, and I mean, that was one of the ground rules he set, was that he didn’t want to date, didn’t want to have emotions get involved. He’s just— kind of a control freak, I guess?” And that was it, right there. Sanghyuk was worried that Jaehwan would get possessive. “I don’t think he’d want me sleeping with anyone else.”

Ilhoon’s brows drew down into a frown. “So, what, he doesn’t want commitment, doesn’t want to take care of you emotionally, just wants sex— but then in the same breath will pitch a fit if you sleep with someone else? That’s not how that works, especially if that rule doesn’t in turn apply to him. Is he bound to some sacred rule of fuck buddy monogamy as well, or is this something he just demands of you?”

Sanghyuk colored. “He’s— it’s not something we’ve actually discussed. We’ve talked about how this isn’t a— a dating thing, that there’s no strings, no commitment, but we never really hashed out the whole sleeping with other people thing.” 

Suddenly, jarringly, Sanghyuk was reminded of feeding. They had never talked about that either, but— he knew Jaehwan wouldn’t be dictated to in that regard, he’d feed on whomever he wanted. Sanghyuk wasn’t particularly bothered by that per se, but it wasn’t fair, was it, that Jaehwan could feed on other people, and presumably, fuck other people, but that Sanghyuk had to curb himself. 

He wasn’t Jaehwan’s pet, no matter what Jaehwan seemed to think on the matter. 

Ilhoon was watching Sanghyuk with an unreadable expression. “Well, talk to him about it? And Sanghyuk— if he gives you a double standard, if he says you can’t have sex with other people, while in the same breath says he’s under no such obligation— you need to get the fuck out of there.”

Sanghyuk rubbed at the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I don’t know if I even want to fuck Sungjae.” 

“That’s not really the point.”

Sanghyuk met Ilhoon’s steady gaze. Ilhoon was far too smart and far too fierce. “Yeah, I— yeah. I’ll talk to him about it, whenever I see him next.” 

Ilhoon sniffed. “Are you two on the out?”

“No, he just— it’s like this. He sort of falls off the grid for a while, sometimes.”

“He sounds like a dick, not gonna lie.”

Sanghyuk sighed heavily, looking up at the silver moon. He hadn’t seen Jaehwan in weeks. He rather got the impression that Jaehwan didn’t feel the passage of time, the same way Sanghyuk did.

They’d talk, the next time they saw one another. About their relationship, and about this radio silence thing. Jaehwan might not feel it weighing on him, but Sanghyuk sure as fuck did, and it needed to be addressed.

Next time.

——

Jaehwan was laying face down on his expensive living room carpet, moaning sadly into the intricately dyed patterns. “It’s been so long,” he was saying, “I’m so hungry, so parched, why can’t I have guests of my choosing over in my own home? This is so cruel.”

Wonshik responded by throwing a blood bag in Jaehwan’s general direction. It landed a foot away from Jaehwan’s head with a plop. Jaehwan turned his head, so he could shoot Wonshik a most unimpressed look. “This is not the kind of sustenance I require, oh loving child of mine.”

Wonshik settled back into the sofa, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “I dream of a night where you’re not pitching fits like a toddler,” he mumbled to himself, letting his head loll back against the back of the couch and closing his eyes.

“I dream of a night where I can fuck my human in my own home,” Jaehwan snapped, rolling over so he was belly up. He sighed heavily, like he was exceedingly martyred. “This is all a conspiracy, isn’t it? You, Hakyeon, and Taekwoon— you’re purposefully cockblocking me.”

“Yep,” Wonshik said. “That’s exactly it. it’s not like you can go to Sanghyuk’s place or like, literally anywhere else in the city.”

“Why can’t _you_ meet Hakyeon somewhere else?”

“He’s too easily distracted right now,” Wonshik murmured. It was true, to his understanding. Hakyeon’s sense of hearing had sharpened too much, he could pick up on people from much farther away than was necessary or even useful. And being so new, he was constantly a small hop away from being sucked into the bloodlust. It was safer, here, underground, where it was quiet and protected. “You’ve been going out, haven’t you been feeding?”

“No,” Jaehwan said, sullen. “I don’t want to feed on anyone but Sanghyuk.”

Wonshik scrubbed his hands over his face, wishing Hongbin would wake up already. He’d mumbled about wanting more time in bed, when Wonshik had gotten up, had batted Wonshik away weakly, so Wonshik had let him sleep in. Now though, he was sincerely wishing he’d dragged Hongbin out, sleepy or not. 

Hakyeon and Taekwoon would be here soon. That would be a nice distraction. 

“Just— go to Sanghyuk’s place,” Wonshik said. He didn’t want to be encouraging Jaehwan tracking Sanghyuk down, but this was getting fucking old. It wasn’t even just Wonshik’s decision anymore. Taekwoon seemed to have decided coming here every night was beneficial to Hakyeon’s mental state, so it was sort of out of Wonshik’s hands at this point anyway. 

“I have been,” Jaehwan said, voice rising in his theatrics. He rolled, a couple of times, arms flailing. “He’s never home, presumably he goes into work.” He sobbed, all acting. “I’m going to die, I am going to perish from thirst.”

“Wow, you mean Sanghyuk has a life? This must really be a shocking thing to face as someone who doesn’t fucking have one.”

Jaehwan sat up, his hair slightly mussed from all his rolling. He squinted at Wonshik. “What if I bring him here anyway? What will you horrid little busybodies do _then_?”

“You won’t,” Wonshik said simply. He knew this as a fact. Jaehwan was too possessive, too protective of what he perceived as _his_. He wouldn’t risk Sanghyuk coming near Hakyeon.

Jaehwan grumbled at that, picking lint off his trousers. It was odd, how much he seemed to— to actually miss Sanghyuk. How mopey he’d become. 

Wonshik smirked, a little, at that thought. 

“What?” Jaehwan snapped, “what are you grinning at, you useless radish?”

 

“Nothing,” Wonshik said lightly. 

Jaehwan huffed, standing. “That is it,” he said. “I will now have to take drastic measures.”

Wonshik raised his eyebrows, wondering what on earth _drastic measures_ would entail. “Are you going to yodel every time Hakyeon tries to speak? Run about naked and attempt to frighten Taekwoon off?”

Jaehwan sucked in a breath, the picture of indignation. But he did not counter, he simply flickered away, down the hall and presumably to his room. Wonshik’s curiosity was more than piqued. But he wasn’t particularly concerned.

Still smiling a little, he closed his eyes once more, enjoying the peace and quiet for once. 

After a time he heard footsteps, signalling that Hongbin had awoken. Good. He’d want to get himself together, a bit, before Hakyeon and Taekwoon arrived.

Wonshik’s eyes fluttered open, and he sat up straight, eyes going to the hallway. “Good morning, lazybones,” he said easily.

Hongbin was standing just under the doorframe. He still looked sleepy, and he was slouching, slightly. He didn’t reply, simply blinked at Wonshik.

Unease uncoiled in Wonshik’s stomach. “Hongbin?”

Hongbin mumbled something unintelligibly, shuffling forward a few steps uncertainly, before saying clearly, “Hungry.”

Wonshik swallowed thickly, having to take a beat, two, to collect himself. Then he stood, walking human speed to Hongbin’s side. Very gently, he kissed Hongbin’s forehead. “Good morning, dearest,” he whispered. He carefully brushed some wayward curls out of Hongbin’s face.

Hongbin blinked up at him, expectant, and Wonshik sighed. “Yes. Hungry. Right,” he said, mostly to himself. He’d have to get Jaehwan to go— go hunt. Wonshik hoped he wasn’t in so much of a mood that he’d say no. 

Just as he had that thought, the wards of the house rippled, and Wonshik felt panic spike through him momentarily, before he remembered that Hakyeon was a vampire, now. He was a vampire, and he had nothing to fear from Hongbin in this state.

Wonshik hesitated, unsure what to do. He didn’t think Hongbin would want Hakyeon to see him like this. Should he stop them at the door, make some excuse? He didn’t know, and he must have hesitated too long, because he heard the front door opening, and then Taekwoon was there, in the living room, and Hakyeon flickered to his side a moment later. 

“Hey,” Hakyeon said, smiling, but at the sudden appearance of guests, Hongbin had flinched back, hiding behind Wonshik, clutching onto the back of his shirt. Wonshik didn’t try and stop him, and Hakyeon’s smile flickered in confusion. “Hongbin?”

Wonshik felt Hongbin peeking out from behind him, but he didn’t do anything else. Taekwoon seemed like he’d realized what was going on, by this point, having seen Hongbin like this before, but Hakyeon still looked bewildered. 

Wonshik gave a smile that was half a wince. “Hongbin’s— he’s not aware, right now. He woke up like this. He needs to feed.”

“Ah,” Hakyeon said, eyes widening momentarily. “He’s— the bloodlust has him?”

Wonshik turned, a little, so he could wrap an arm around Hongbin’s shoulders comfortingly. Hongbin curled into him, glancing at Hakyeon and Taekwoon tentatively, almost shyly. 

“Yeah,” Wonshik said softly. Hongbin looked up at him, and Wonshik added in a murmur, “It’s okay. They aren’t going to hurt you.”

Hongbin murmured back at him, mimicking his soft tone, but he was utterly nonsensical. It made Wonshik smile a little, fond.

Hakyeon watched them, an emotion on his face that Wonshik couldn’t place. “Hongbin,” Hakyeon murmured, moving as if to take a step forward and then stopping himself.

Hongbin stared at Hakyeon, in that vaguely unfocused way he had when he was like this. He was still curled into Wonshik’s side, and he seemed to have noticed that he was the center of the attention in the room currently. He mumbled something, sounding vaguely suspicious. Wonshik ran his hand down his back soothingly. 

“I was going to cancel on you,” Wonshik said softly, to Hakyeon and Taekwoon. “I didn’t think— well. I didn’t think getting together when Hongbin was like this would be a good idea, but by the time I realized he’d regressed, you were here.”

“We can— can go,” Hakyeon offered. His hands had come up to grip his own upper arms, holding himself. He was clearly unnerved, uncomfortable, and it made Wonshik, weirdly, feel protective of Hongbin. His healing was a process, and Wonshik wasn’t going to be ashamed of him.

Taekwoon went to Hakyeon’s side, gently placing an arm around Hakyeon’s shoulders and tugging him close. He murmured something in Hakyeon’s ear, then placed a kiss softly to Hakyeon’s temple in comfort. 

Wonshik’s hand tightened, slightly, on Hongbin’s shoulder for a moment before he remembered himself. Hongbin had watched Taekwoon’s movements with arrested attention, and now he turned to Wonshik, haltingly putting his arm around Wonshik, in a mimicry of Taekwoon’s movements. After a moment, he also leaned over, kissing Wonshik’s temple softly, gently. 

There was silence, after that, a stunned deep sort of silence. Even Taekwoon seemed a little taken aback. Wonshik wasn’t, exactly, he’d adjusted to Hongbin’s behavior, his penchant for mimicry, when he was like this. But he was unusually touched by it.

It had been a while, since Hongbin had been like this. Wonshik had forgotten the way it made him feel. 

“He does that, when he’s like this,” Wonshik muttered. “He picks up on behaviors, mostly, and words, a little bit.”

Hakyeon swallowed visibly. “He’s just so—” he whispered, floundering for the right word, and Wonshik tensed, “small. He seems so small.”

“Vampires caught in a state of bloodlust often are almost childlike,” Taekwoon said. “The only time you ever saw him thus before, you were human— and now, I think, you understand what being around a human, living, breathing, does to a vampire, even one that isn’t in the clutches of the bloodlust.” 

Wonshik wondered if Hongbin— this Hongbin— had enough recollection to be able to recall attacking Hakyeon, all those months ago. Probably not. 

“It’s just— jarring, I guess, to see him like this when before he was so— so different, when he relapsed,” Hakyeon said. 

Hakyeon was wrong, of course. Were there a human in the room, now, Hongbin would be utterly feral. There was no _before_. Hongbin’s nature hadn’t changed, it was vampire nature. What had changed was Hakyeon himself. 

Wonshik didn’t feel like voicing this. He was tired, all of a sudden. 

There was the faint sound of footsteps a split second before Jaehwan was suddenly in the room with them again. He’d changed into a surprisingly modern outfit of dark grey skinny jeans, a well fitting black v-neck, and combat boots. Some pewter jewelry completed his ensemble. He looked like a young college kid going through a vaguely rebellious phase. 

“Ah,” Jaehwan said, spreading his hands out in a welcoming gesture. “I thought I sensed our honored guests arriving. I must say, it is so very wonderful to see you, for the eighteenth night in a row.”

Taekwoon exhaled, the sound coming out a little growly. Hakyeon’s hands closed into fists. “You’ll be pleased to know, we were going to leave,” Hakyeon ground out.

Jaehwan raised his eyebrows, turning to look at Wonshik for an explanation. His gaze fell on Hongbin, still sleep-mussed and barefoot, blinking around with glazed eyes. “Ah,” Jaehwan said. “Crazy is crazy tonight, eh? I guess that would put a dampener on your usual inane chitchat.”

Hakyeon bit his bottom lip, hard, before turning to Taekwoon. “My biggest regret in letting you turn me,” he said, “is that now, I am related to him. Which means I can’t kill him.”

“We can still hurt him,” Taekwoon said solemnly, and Jaehwan gave an affected yawn.

“No need to traumatize poor Crazy — again — I was just leaving as well,” Jaehwan said airily, floating away from them and to the front door. 

Wonshik was reminded of what Jaehwan had said earlier, that he’d be resorting to drastic measures. Were distressed skinny jeans drastic measures? Where was he even going?

“Hongbin needs to feed,” Wonshik said, mostly to Jaehwan. Wonshik couldn’t take him hunting, not like this. 

Jaehwan sniffed, shrugging. “Then feed him. Or are you trying to hint that you want me to fetch someone for him?” He snorted, derisive. “I need to feed as well, and no one here seems to care about that, one way or another, and you’ve grown old enough now that I am no longer going to hunt for either of you. Do it yourself.”

“Where are you going?” Taekwoon snapped, scowling furiously. 

“To find my human,” Jaehwan said simply, and then he was out of the front door, faster than a blink.

Wonshik let out a breath. It whistled through his teeth as a hiss. “He’s been very— difficult, lately.”

“I imagine forcing him into a situation where he is made to keep a distance from Sanghyuk has everything to do with that,” Taekwoon said. “He does need to feed.”

“Sanghyuk isn’t a vending machine,” Hakyeon snapped.

Hongbin, at this point, had apparently had enough of all this noise. “Hungry,” he whined, loudly, his fangs out just a little. 

Wonshik would have to find someone for him, somehow. In the meanwhile, he offered Hongbin his wrist, but unusually, Hongbin turned his nose up at it. 

“Don’t you start getting bratty on me too,” Wonshik muttered, dangerously. Hongbin sniffed, mumbling under his breath.

“I will find someone for him, since Jaehwan won’t,” Taekwoon murmured, surprising both Hakyeon and Wonshik. “Stay here,” he added to Hakyeon, and then, like Jaehwan, he flickered away, out through the front door.

Then it was just the three of them alone in the house, their original little family. Hakyeon was fidgeting, wringing his hands, and Wonshik steeled himself a little. He gently guided Hongbin to the couch, where he pushed him to sit down. “I’m going to get you some blood,” he said, and Hongbin perked up a little.

“Blood,” he echoed, smiling a little. 

Wonshik flit to the kitchen, snagging a blood bag out of the fridge and a straw out of a nearby cabinet. When he brought them back into the living room, he was greeted with the sight of Hongbin sitting at one end of the couch, and Hakyeon at the other, sitting stiff and prim. They were both staring at one another, and Wonshik fought not to sigh.

He shoved the straw into the bag, and then brought it to Hongbin. “Here,” he said, and Hongbin tore his eyes away from Hakyeon to focus on the bag. He took it gingerly, seeming displeased, but he took a sip anyway, and then another, and another, until the bag was half empty. 

“After— after he feeds, will he go back to normal?” Hakyeon asked softly. 

Wonshik reached out, petting Hongbin’s hair lightly, the curls soft against his skin, and Hongbin leaned into the touch like a cat. “Sometimes he snaps out of it after, sometimes he stays like this until he sleeps it off,” Wonshik said.

Hongbin stopped drinking to burble something, shaking Wonshik’s hand off himself. He got a little blood at the corner of his mouth as he did so. 

Hakyeon reached over, seeming to do it out of instinct, and wiped the smear of red off the corner of Hongbin’s mouth with his thumb. Then he froze, hand still hovering near Hongbin’s face, like he’d caught himself doing something forbidden. Hongbin didn’t flinch back, just looked at Hakyeon questioningly. 

Hakyeon swallowed. “Blood,” he said simply, showing Hongbin his thumb, which had a drop of red on it now.

“Blood,” Hongbin echoed, and then he smiled, shyly, and held out his blood bag to Hakyeon in offering.

After a pause, Hakyeon took it. Wonshik chose not to mention the way his fingertips were trembling.

——

The club HQ had designated for the night was a larger one, busier. Sanghyuk, in some ways, liked these clubs better, because it meant when he was inside, he blended right in. But outside these clubs, there were always a lot of people loitering, and sometimes even extra streetlights installed by the business itself. They weren’t usually the first choice for a vamp on the hunt.

But HQ had said to go here, so here Sanghyuk was, sitting at the bar and sipping at something he had ordered at random without much thought. Ilhoon had remained outside, obviously, as a second should. 

“So, like, what exactly am I supposed to do?” Ilhoon had asked as they were standing outside and across the street from the club. Sanghyuk had fought not to facepalm.

“You stay here and when I eventually come out, you observe and be poised in case I get a bite and need backup,” Sanghyuk had said.

Ilhoon had leaned his back against the crumbling brick wall of a run down convenience store, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of his back pocket. “So, I sit here and take a nap, basically?” He’d placed a cigarette between his teeth, grinning. 

“Just—” Sanghyuk had said, exasperated, “stay here, and don’t get into trouble.”

The music changed, and Sanghyuk winced as the people around him began to sing along. He took another sip of his drink. He really hoped Ilhoon wouldn’t wander off. Not because he thought he’d really need any backup tonight, but just because he didn’t want Ilhoon to end up in a position where _he_ would need backup, and Sanghyuk wouldn’t be there.

Then again, Ilhoon had a whole pack of cigarettes and his MP3 player, so. Hopefully his desire to do the bare minimum would keep him in place for tonight.

Sanghyuk took a sip of his drink, trying to burn away the sharp edges of tension in his body. Talking about Jaehwan with Ilhoon, even skirting around him as a topic, still meant Sanghyuk had to think about him, and at this point thinking of Jaehwan just made him feel tangled up.

His wards were prickling, just slightly, and it was an odd sensation. They felt off, like they were simmering, or trying to, but they couldn’t gather the energy to properly burn. 

Sanghyuk rolled his shoulders, like he could shake the feeling off, make the sun tattoo on his back quiet down, but it refused. Which made Sanghyuk realize that there was something here they were warning him about, and not simply reacting to his train of thoughts. His oak tree tattoo was— humming. It was very quiet, compared to his other tattooes, didn’t burn so much as it just sort of nudged at his consciousness. 

He wondered if it meant there was something here, something not a vamp but enough of a _thing_ for his wards to be reacting. He didn’t know what they’d be reacting to though; he knew for a fact they didn’t respond to weres or wizards. A demon? Or maybe some other sort of fae. Sanghyuk didn’t want to have to deal with this tonight.

He did a scan of the club, slowly. The lights were flashing, multi-colored, and it made it hard for Sanghyuk to focus on anything with the mass of dancing people, but then he caught sight of— no, no it couldn't be—

He slid off this stool at the bar, making his way around the club by sticking to the wall where there were less people dancing, more just loitering at best or making out and grinding at worst. Sanghyuk lost sight of his target while he was moving, but it didn't matter, because as it turned out, his target was sitting at a small table in a corner of the club.

Sanghyuk placed his hands on the table, leaning down to hiss, "What the fuck are you doing here?"

Jaehwan grinned up at him, running a fingertip along the edge of his glass. It was a rum and coke, if Sanghyuk wasn't mistaken, and it was full still. "I wanted to see you, it’s been a while, and I’ve missed you so," Jaehwan said, speaking up so Sanghyuk could hear him over the music. There was something about his face, the way he was moving, that was— different. Sanghyuk wasn't sure how or why precisely, but somehow, Jaehwan was passing as human. Or rather, passing as not vampire, because there was no way he'd be mistaken for a full-blooded human ever.

"Oh my fucking god," Sanghyuk said, heart pounding. "What are you— what are you _thinking_? There's humans here."

"I noticed," Jaehwan said dryly. "This is, after all, a human establishment."

"That's not what I mean," Sanghyuk said, casting a glance over his shoulder. "I'm on a job, I might— my partner could pop in to check on me. Or the VCF could get called in if anyone realizes what you are."

"I'm wearing an amulet, to help me pass," Jaehwan said, shrugging, and the movement wasn't quite so oily, but it definitely wasn't human either. He tapped his finger to a ring he was wearing. Sanghyuk’s oak tree tattoo sent out a ripple.

"Your amulet doesn't fully stop my wards from sensing you, and you're still not passing for _human_ ," Sanghyuk said, gripping the edge of the table tightly. He couldn’t believe this was happening. "You need to leave."

Jaehwan rolled his eyes, stirring his drink idly. "I've always been fine in the past, don't worry so much, love. Or are you just afraid to be seen with me?"

Sanghyuk sat down heavily, groaning. "You've done this before."

"I'm a social creature, what can I say," Jaehwan said, grinning again. "Did you really think I'd spent the last three hundred years holed up underground? Granted, I don't do this very often, and usually only on nights like Halloween, where there are many humans out to blend in with. But I just couldn't resist coming to see you."

"You're not blending in," Sanghyuk said flatly, and Jaehwan just grinned wider, fangs retracted for once. Sanghyuk sighed, knowing he shouldn’t be surprised by this. It was typical stupid, rash, Jaehwan behavior. 

Jaehwan was still stirring his drink, and his ring, the amulet, was glinting in the light. It was a large piece of jewelry, gold, with a solid chunk of what Sanghyuk thought was hematite set into it. He wasn’t versed in the magical arts, but he could tell it was an old, potent piece of magic. Because even knowing what Jaehwan was, it was making Jaehwan seem— less. It made his movements less smooth, less silky, and even changed the cadence of his voice. No, he might not be passing as a full-blooded human, but he was definitely passing as not-vampire. It was utterly surreal to see.

Sanghyuk wondered if this is what Jaehwan looked like, when he was human. If this is what it would have felt like to speak with him before he was turned. The awful, oppressive vampire aura gone. 

“Where did you get it?” Sanghyuk asked, still looking at the ring. 

Jaehwan held his hand up, smirking. “An heirloom from my master. I’ve no idea where he procured it from, but I do know that it was not made for him. It is, most likely, older than Taekwoon and myself combined.”

Sanghyuk suppressed a shiver. Potent magic indeed.

Jaehwan was looking at him like a cat, half lidded eyes, blinking slowly. Without his predatory aura, it was less intimidating, but Sanghyuk knew the look well and didn’t bother stifling a groan. “Jaehwan,” he said, “I’m on a job. I— my partner is outside.” Jaehwan didn’t respond to that, but his smirk grew wider, and Sanghyuk had to face the fact that there was no reasoning with him. His eyes flicked down to the drink Jaehwan was fiddling with. "Why buy a drink when you can't even _drink_ it?"

"It makes me look less suspicious. Everyone else has a drink, so I have a drink," Jaehwan said. "I'm blending, remember?"

Sanghyuk snorted, watching as Jaehwan dipped his fingertip into the liquid, so that when he pulled it out, it had a single drop clinging to his skin. He lifted it to his own mouth, lips parting so he could suck the liquid off his fingertip. It conjured up memories, Jaehwan’s full lips wrapped around Sanghyuk’s cock, the heat of his mouth, and Sanghyuk knew he was blushing. He felt like a fool. It hadn’t been that fucking long, and he was supposed to be miffed at Jaehwan for the silence of the last few weeks. 

Jaehwan pulled his finger from his mouth, smirking. "I used to like sweet things, when I was human," he said. He pushed the glass to Sanghyuk. "But alas, I am not human anymore."

"Sorry," Sanghyuk said, not meaning it in the slightest. He took a sip of the drink, sweet and bubbly from the soda with just the right amount of warmth from the alcohol.

"Don't be," Jaehwan said lowly, watching as Sanghyuk took a longer sip. "I'll taste it on you later."

That made Sanghyuk splutter, and he set the glass down a little too hard. “Jaehwan,” he said, “you can’t actually be planning to hang around for my whole shift? I have to _work_.”

“No other vamps are going to wander into the area, not with me here,” Jaehwan said simply. “Your fishing trip will come up empty.” He pouted. “Aren’t you happy to see me? It’s been ages.”

“It’s been like, three weeks, you’re clingier than a teenage girl with her first boyfriend,” Sanghyuk hissed. He glanced over the club, eyes catching on the door, worried Ilhoon might come in. He really shouldn’t, like, really, but Sanghyuk couldn’t help but be concerned. He knew they had quite a bit of time to play with, but still.

With a jolt, he wondered when he’d started to care so much for Jaehwan’s wellbeing. But then he shook it off, reminding himself that this wasn’t just about Jaehwan, it was also about retaining his own cover.

Jaehwan slumped dramatically over the table. “But I’m horny,” Jaehwan whined. “And hungry.”

Sanghyuk’s heart stuttered, a flare of heat flashing down his spine and sparking in his groin. He prayed that over the noise of the club, Jaehwan hadn’t heard it, couldn’t smell it on him. He didn’t like being so affected, didn’t want to admit that he’d missed their little arrangement too. 

“I feel so loved,” Sanghyuk mumbled, hoping to cover his momentary arousal. 

“It is the highest of compliments, that of all the people in a good fifty mile radius, you are the only one I currently want to feed from,” Jaehwan said, glancing up at Sanghyuk mischievously. 

“I’m just the easiest option,” Sanghyuk said, truthfully, and Jaehwan threw his head back and laughed. The sound made a few people nearby glance over nervously, because it was just that bit off. Jaehwan’s teeth glinted white in the club lights, all of them blunt, but there was still a ghost of sharpness there. 

Jaehwan was ethereally beautiful, Sanghyuk had forgotten the extent of it. The amulet giving him a slight essence of mortality only enhanced it.

He really needed Jaehwan to leave. 

“You need to get the fuck out of here,” Sanghyuk said, “you stick out more than you think you do. Go out the back and go to my apartment, I’ll meet you there later.” He hoped the promise of _later_ would be enough to bribe Jaehwan.

Jaehwan pretended to think about it, for a beat, then shook his head. “I know better than to think you’ll be back before sunup, love. You haven’t been for ages.”

That made Sanghyuk blink. “You’ve been stopping by my apartment.”

“I haven’t gone in,” Jaehwan said, idle. He picked at his cuticles. “Hakyeon and Taekwoon are at my home constantly, and they’re so lovey dovey and happy, it’s enough to make me want to vomit. So I go out, chased out of my own home, and you’re the only other person I’d want to see. But you’re never around anymore. So I’ve been driven to drastic measures.” He sighed, glancing to the far wall of the club in an affectation of tragicness.

“You haven’t been in contact,” Sanghyuk pointed out. “And you don’t like my apartment, how was I to know you’d be coming by? You told me— to stay away— that it was dangerous, with Hakyeon coming by.” He got a little terse, then, because he still hadn’t forgiven Jaehwan entirely for whisking him away before he’d gotten a chance to see Hakyeon in his new state.

“Yes, well,” Jaehwan said. “I thought it best perhaps if we both took some time to ourselves, used this opportunity to get a little space to breathe.”

“You just told me you’ve been trying to meet me, and now you’re saying you wanted to put some space between us?” Sanghyuk asked, squinting. “You don’t make any sense. You either want to be near me or not, it can’t be both. Make up your mind.” The odd contradictions were reminding Sanghyuk of his earlier conversation with Ilhoon. He and Jaehwan really needed to talk, but fuck, this was not at all what he’d had in mind.

Jaehwan frowned at that, pursing his lips for a moment before he nudged the rum and coke closer to Sanghyuk. “Finish it. I’ll buy you another, and then I’ll leave,” he said, and Sanghyuk’s shoulders relaxed some. “Provided you dance with me, just for a song or two,” Jaehwan added, grinning.

“No, oh my fucking god, get the fuck out of here or I’m going to call the fucking VCF on you,” Sanghyuk said, snapping it out in exasperation.

“That’s the deal, love. A drink, a dance, and then I’ll leave.” Jaehwan’s grin turned into a smirk, because he knew, damn him, he _knew_ Sanghyuk would take that deal. And the sooner he did it the better.

Sanghyuk muttered, “Goddammit.” He flicked the little straw out of the drink so he could toss it back easier.

——

The second drink Jaehwan bought him was some kind of vodka concoction, with a double shot. Combined with the rum and coke, and the drink Sanghyuk had earlier, he wasn’t fully sober anymore. The alcohol gave him a pleasant tingly warmth, buzzing in his fingertips, relaxing his muscles. 

Jaehwan’s eyes glinted, his hair falling over his forehead despite how he’d tried to sweep it back. He pulled Sanghyuk away from the bar, through the crowd of people on the dance floor. He was getting a few glances, not because he was frightening people, but because the hazy magic around him was making him _appealing_. It was a terrifying thought for Sanghyuk. Humans usually ran screaming from vamps, but a potent amulet later, and he could see that it would be so easy for a creature like Jaehwan to lure people in.

He supposed they were lucky that such charms were few and far between.

The alcohol had relaxed him some, but he still couldn’t stop himself from glancing back at the club entryway, keeping an eye out for Ilhoon. He couldn’t be sure Ilhoon would peg Jaehwan as a vamp, but he would definitely be able to peg him as something. With Jaehwan’s current general aura right now, he’d probably think he was an incubus, or something similar. And that Sanghyuk had been drawn into his magic, which would just be insulting.

Sanghyuk was suddenly being moved, turned, so he couldn’t look at the club’s entrance anymore. Then Jaehwan was at his back, holding Sanghyuk’s hips. He mouthed at the tender space behind Sanghyuk’s ear, making Sanghyuk jerk, gasping.

“Don’t be so tense, love,” he whispered. His breath was warm, and so was the rest of him, the feeling of it sinking through Sanghyuk’s clothes. Jaehwan swayed, slightly with the music, using his hands on Sanghyuk’s hips to move them together. “The amulet does nothing to dull my senses. If your friend comes in, I will disappear.”

Sanghyuk leaned back, against Jaehwan’s chest. “Did you consider,” he murmured, “that maybe I am miffed at being ignored for weeks, and then you coming back and just— demanding things of me?”

A pause, as another song started, one Sanghyuk actually vaguely knew, so he let himself move to it. 

“No,” Jaehwan said finally. “That is the nature of our arrangement, love. We are not dating, not lovers, we are supposed to see one another when we need sex. That is the very nature of our relationship.”

“But it’s not fair,” Sanghyuk said, swaying his hips, feeling his joints loosen up, “that you’re the only one deciding when and where these things happen, as of late. You can’t just vanish and then reappear whenever you feel like it, Jaehwan. You can’t expect me to always be there just waiting for you.”

Jaehwan nipped at Sanghyuk’s ear. “But you are here waiting for me,” he murmured. He rolled his hips forward, and Sanghyuk could feel he was getting hard in his stupid skinny jeans. His own body was reacting to that, and he really hated himself for it. “You still want me, love, so let’s not pull temper tantrums and pretend otherwise.”

Sanghyuk bit on his bottom lip, hard, feeling aroused and pissed off, which was a familiar cocktail around Jaehwan. Sanghyuk placed his hands over Jaehwan's, braced on Sanghyuk's hips, and ground backwards, undulating. He could feel the beat of the music in his bones, and Jaehwan stuttered, gasping into Sanghyuk’s ear as Sanghyuk rolled his hips back, over and over. Sanghyuk let his head fall back against Jaehwan's shoulder, exposing the long line of his throat, teasing, taunting. If Jaehwan wanted to play this game, then fine. Sanghyuk could play too. 

Jaehwan wasn't moving much, perhaps for fear of slipping up and giving away what he was, but Sanghyuk knew he was enjoying this, could feel his cock, now fully hard in his jeans, every time he pressed back.

Jaehwan let one of his hands drift up, over Sanghyuk's stomach, his chest, until it was resting against Sanghyuk's throat. He rubbed his thumb over Sanghyuk's windpipe, and Sanghyuk gasped at the subtle aspect of danger there. He shut his eyes, feeling his cock twitch in his tight jeans, and circled his hips back against Jaehwan's in such a way that Jaehwan jerked against him, groaning into his ear.

Sanghyuk turned, blindly, catching Jaehwan's mouth in a searing kiss. He pressed their fronts together, one hand snaking around to hold onto the small of Jaehwan's back, and the other going between their bodies to palm at Jaehwan's cock through his pants. Jaehwan's hands went up to tangle in Sanghyuk's well styled hair, and he gasped into Sanghyuk's mouth as Sanghyuk gently squeezed him through the denim. Jaehwan felt like he was burning up, he was so hard, and fuck but Sanghyuk _wanted_ him.

"I think I like you like this," Sanghyuk whispered, knowing Jaehwan would be able to hear him even through the pounding music, "forced into immobility for fear of your life. It's nice."

Jaehwan growled, surging forward and kissing Sanghyuk roughly, fisting his hands just a bit too hard in Sanghyuk's hair. Sanghyuk retaliated by biting down on Jaehwan's full lower lip hard, too hard, trying to draw blood and succeeding. Jaehwan shuddered against him, moaning, and when Sanghyuk sealed their mouths together again, he felt Jaehwan's fangs finally slide out, razor sharp. 

Sanghyuk moved his hand off Jaehwan’s crotch in favor of grinding his cock against Jaehwan’s, separated by two layers of denim but it still felt fucking amazing. Sanghyuk’s wards were sparking, helping the tension coil in his body, building with each press forward of his hips. Jaehwan began to move against him, just a bit, rolling his hips forward, smooth and oily and unmistakably vampire. 

Sanghyuk broke the kiss, and Jaehwan immediately buried his face against Sanghyuk’s neck so no one would see his fangs. “People are staring,” Jaehwan said.

“Because you’re a vampire,” Sanghyuk murmured into his ear. He licked at the shell, and Jaehwan hissed.

“People are staring at _you_ ,” Jaehwan replied, pulling away, eyes burning. He still had blood on his lower lip, from when Sanghyuk bit him, though the wound itself had healed. Sanghyuk leaned forward to lick it off.

“Come on,” Sanghyuk whispered, and then he pulled away. He grasped Jaehwan’s wrist, tugging him through the crowd. Jaehwan ducked his face down, hiding himself, his movements consciously clumsy.

Sanghyuk led them away from the dance floor, down a badly lit narrow hallway that ended in a door going outside. He pushed it open, knowing it would lock them out once closed again so he propped it open. The music of the club poured dully out of the door after them.

They were in the alleyway behind the club. A few other people were loitering around, but none of them too near. There weren’t any lights back here. 

Sanghyuk gulped in the outside air gratefully, even stale as it was. “Okay, Jaehwan—” he began, but then Jaehwan was pushing him against the side of the club, boxing him in with his arms on either side of Sanghyuk’s shoulders. He pressed himself to Sanghyuk, from chest to thigh, and then he was kissing him, hard, fast. Sanghyuk couldn’t help the surprised gasp that escaped, his mouth dropping open on instinct at this point. Jaehwan nipped at his bottom lip teasingly, fangs pricking.

Sanghyuk turned his face away, breaking the kiss so he could gasp out, “You said a drink and a dance— then you’d go—”

Jaehwan grasped his jaw roughly, forcing him back so he could seal their lips together. Sanghyuk indulged him, for a few minutes, before he broke the kiss again.

“I’m not fucking you in an alleyway,” Sanghyuk said, breathy but still firm. “Especially not after being left high and dry for weeks, with no communication at all.” He smiled at little as Jaehwan frowned. “If you made me wait for weeks— you can wait a little longer too.”

Jaehwan rolled his hips into Sanghyuk’s, grinding their erections together and making Sanghyuk’s eyelids flutter. “You want this, don’t act like you don’t.”

“Oh, I do,” Sanghyuk admitted, “but I also can’t let you get away with everything, now can I?”

“I haven’t done anything,” Jaehwan said, almost petulant. He looked up at Sanghyuk, pouting. 

“You went from wanting to see me every night, to just— nothing, for weeks,” Sanghyuk said. The sweat on his forehead was cooling, his hair sticking to his skin. “I’ve been alone and wondering what was going on, if something had changed.”

“It is not my fault that Hakyeon has invaded my home and you cannot come over—”

Sanghyuk cut him off. “Do not act like that is any kind of excuse, Jaehwan. You are old and perfectly capable of using a phone, or a computer, to contact me. We could meet elsewhere and you know it,” Sanghyuk said simply. Jaehwan pursed his lips, shuttering himself off. “What is this really about?”

“I simply feel our transactions are best kept within my own home,” Jaehwan said, curiously flat. “I do not want to give you the illusion that we are dating. We are not.”

“You came to see me tonight,” Sanghyuk pointed out. He reached up, to brush a stray lock of hair off Jaehwan’s forehead, but Jaehwan pulled back, pulled away. The loss of contact along Sanghyuk’s front made him shiver.

“Because, truly, I need to feed,” Jaehwan said. He straightened his hair, his clothes, smoothly. “But clearly, I should have simply gone elsewhere for that, since you’re determined to make this unnecessarily complicated.”

Sanghyuk felt that like a stab in the gut. “I just— this can’t revolve just around you Jaehwan, around your needs and wants. That’s not fair.” He added, more quietly, “I have needs and wants too. And I shouldn’t have to curb them, when you clearly aren’t curbing yours.”

Jaehwan paused, stilling, and the amulet he was wearing kept it from being too vampiric, but it still had a ghost of predatoriness to it. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“Things have been— weird between us, for a while. You’ve seemed— I mean— I’m just wondering if the conditions of our agreement have changed at all?” Sanghyuk asked, trying to be careful but unable to beat around the bush any longer. “You call me your human, but Jaehwan, I can’t be _yours_ , when you aren’t mine. That’s not what the conditions of our agreement say. If you want to claim me, then I have to have a claim on you too.” Sanghyuk wasn’t sure he was making sense, and it was hard, because Jaehwan had gotten a look on his face that Sanghyuk rather felt was dangerous. “And you just contradicted that by— by saying you can go feed on whoever you want.”

“I can,” Jaehwan said lowly.

“Yes,” Sanghyuk agreed, “you can. Because that’s what we agreed upon. No strings, no emotions, no— no need for loyalty. But are you holding me to those same standards? Can I, in turn, sleep with other people? Let other vamps feed on me? Or is this a privilege only you have.”

Sanghyuk could see Jaehwan grinding his teeth, see the muscles in his jaw tensing. When he spoke, it was soft and forcefully level. “Have you found another vampire you desire?”

“Well, no,” Sanghyuk said. “I’m just— I just want to know if anything has changed, Jaehwan. Because you seem like— like you want more from me than you’re willing to give back. If you want to change the rules of our deal—”

“No,” Jaehwan cut him off, his voice harsh. “No, I do not. The original deal stands, Sanghyuk. No strings, no emotions.” His upper lip curled. “Do you still think you can manage that? Or are you going to nag me everytime we have a lull in things, every time we don’t see one another for a while?”

“You’re the one who sought me out in fucking public, desperate for my company,” Sanghyuk snapped, “I can manage, Jaehwan, honestly, I’m fine with it. Go feed on someone else, go fuck someone else, I don’t care, truly. What I care about, is you expecting more from me than you give back.”

“All I want from you,” Jaehwan spat, “is sex and blood, and that is the end of it, I assure you.”

They stood in the alleyway, staring at one another. Sanghyuk was breathing a little hard, but he was glad, glad they’d hashed this out. Sanghyuk could do sex and blood. And it had come from Jaehwan’s own fucking mouth, so if he had a problem with it later, then too damn bad. Sanghyuk had been willing to renegotiate, but Jaehwan didn’t want it. And that was fine, more than fine. 

“Alright,” Sanghyuk said, running a hand through his hair. “I just wanted to get it all out there, make sure we were on the same page.” After casting a glance around, realizing the few people in the alleyway had dispersed, he rolled the sleeve of his shirt up, and then offered the exposed skin to Jaehwan. “Do you want to feed?”

Jaehwan looked like he’d bitten into a lemon. “No,” he said, ever stubborn and prideful.

Sanghyuk gave him an unimpressed look, before drawing his knife out of its holster. He set the blade against the skin of his upper forearm, drawing it over quickly, making a smooth cut that immediately welled with blood. “You sure?” he asked, knowing he was being cruel. His blood flowed in a slim trail, down the curve of his arm. It clung to his skin, but a thick droplet fell onto the ground.

Jaehwan was there, then, grabbing Sanghyuk’s wrist and lapping at the trail of redness before any more could fall onto the pavement. The cut wasn’t deep enough for Jaehwan to feed properly from, just enough to give him a taste.

“Go to my apartment,” Sanghyuk murmured, reaching up with his free hand to card through Jaehwan’s hair. A gentle breeze blew, cooling the sweat on Sanghyuk’s neck, bringing with it the scent of asphalt and cigarettes. “If you can get over your fucking fear of the mold in my bathroom. I’ll meet you there.”

Jaehwan pulled back, his lips shining wetly with blood. Sanghyuk thought he would argue, judging by the expression on his face, but all he said was, “Fine,” and then he was gone. 

Sanghyuk exhaled, feeling as if he was deflating. He shoved his knife back in its holster, and then rolled his sleeve back down. He was glad he was wearing black. The cut stung, but it wasn’t big. And Jaehwan having fed from it, even a little, would help speed the healing process.

He checked his phone. No messages. It hadn’t been too long. He wondered if he should play the charade out, stumble out through the front of the club, let Ilhoon watch as he tripped into an alleyway and got no bites. 

In the end, he decided he was too tired. He went back in through the back door of the club, the music seeming so much louder, so much more obnoxious. The buzz had worn off. He stuck to the walls, edging past the mass of people, until he could squeeze by the bouncer at the front door, back onto the main street. There were groups of people out here, smoking, talking, laughing, under the bright street lamps. Sanghyuk shook his head, once again wondering what HQ had been thinking, sending him here.

Ilhoon was where Sanghyuk had left him, across his street in the shadows, hunched down and smoking. 

“Good to see you stayed out of trouble,” Sanghyuk said as he made it to Ilhoon’s side.

Ilhoon looked up at him, eyebrow arched. “Aren’t you supposed to be fishing?”

“I sensed something, while in the club,” Sanghyuk said, figuring sticking to the truth as much as possible would be easier than lying outright. “It didn’t feel— quite like a vamp, but it was definitely something. I went out the back, to see if I could sniff anything out, but there was nothing. And then the feeling was gone.”

Ilhoon took a long drag off his cigarette, staring at Sanghyuk in a level way that made Sanghyuk want to fidget. “Mm,” he said finally, blowing a stream of grey smoke through his lips. “I felt something odd too.” He stood, dropping his the stumpy remains of his cigarette onto the concrete and stepping on it to snuff it out. “So, now what then?”

Sanghyuk gave a one-shouldered shrug. “We could go a few blocks over, try again.” He made a show of looking around, making a face. “But I don’t think we’re going to get any bites, in an area like this.”

“Do you wanna see if we can find a shitty sandwich joint, snag something to eat, and then head back to HQ?” Ilhoon asked, easy, and Sanghyuk smiled, nodding. “There’s one a block over, if I remember correctly. Stays open after hours.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Sanghyuk said, letting Ilhoon lead the way down the street.

After a few moments, Ilhoon asked, “Do you usually give up so easily?” He glanced at Sanghyuk, something sharp in his gaze.

Sanghyuk fought not to blush. Again, he decided staying as near to the truth as possible was probably best. “No,” he muttered. “I— got a text. From, uh—”

“Ah, your absent fuck buddy,” Ilhoon said. “And?”

“He wants to meet up, after I get off work.”

Ilhoon sniffed. “He better have a good reason for being so negligent for so long. At the very least, he owes me an apology card, for having to deal with your mood swings.”

“He doesn’t have a good reason,” Sanghyuk said, “he never will.”

Ilhoon nibbled on one of his piercings in thought. “Are you going to talk to him? About— the stuff I brought up?”

Sanghyuk flashed back to the talk they’d just had. “Yeah,” he said tiredly. “But you know— I don’t really care anymore, Ilhoon.”

“About him being a dick? I care,” Ilhoon said dangerously. 

“No,” Sanghyuk said. “About what he thinks. I’ll never— he’s never going to want to have anything proper, with me. And that’s fine. I don’t want to date him. But if he isn’t going to give me loyalty, then I don’t owe him any either. He can’t claim me, when I have no claim on him.”

“That’s what I was saying,” Ilhoon said. He rolled his eyes. “Does this mean you’re going to be having a talk with Sungjae?” 

This time, Sanghyuk couldn’t stop himself blushing. This was going to be fucking _awkward_ , to go back into work, knowing what he knew. “Does he know you— you told me he likes me?”

“No.”

Sanghyuk breathed out a sigh of relief. “I need to think about it. I’m not sure— not sure it’s the best idea.” He thought of Sungjae, his slim hips and sharp smile, his boisterous laugh. Thought of the lingering touches they’d had lately, Sungjae’s sweet, easy nature. 

Ilhoon was watching him, and judging by the look on his face, he knew Sanghyuk was full of shit.

This was getting so messy.

**Author's Note:**

> (((the working title of this fic doc was “walk into the club like what up i’M A FUCKIGN VAMPIRE”)))


End file.
